1. Field
Embodiments relate to a refrigerator having a valve to control the supply of a refrigerant to a plurality of storage chambers and a control method of the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator is operated such that a refrigerant is compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant by a compressor, the high-temperature and high-pressure gas refrigerant is condensed into a room-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant by a condenser, and the room-temperature and high-pressure liquid refrigerant is supplied to an evaporator, disposed around a storage chamber, where the refrigerant is evaporated to cool the storage chamber, thereby storing foods at predetermined temperature.
In a structure in which a plurality of storage chambers are provided in a refrigerator, a refrigerant valve mounted on refrigerant channels disposed between a condenser and evaporators of the storage chambers is operated to control the amount of the refrigerant distributed to the respective evaporators, thereby satisfying temperature conditions of the storage chambers.
During simultaneous operation of the storage chambers, the operation of the refrigerant valve is controlled to distribute the refrigerant to the evaporators of the storage chambers while changing the refrigerant channels every predetermined time.
In a conventional refrigerator, however, an opening time rate of the refrigerant valve is fixed with respect to the respective storage chambers. For example, on the assumption that three storage chambers are used as Kimchi chambers, the opening time rate of the refrigerant valve is fixed for each of the storage chambers such that the first storage chamber has an opening time rate of 40%, the second storage chamber has an opening time rate of 30%, and the third storage chamber has an opening time rate of 30%. On the assumption that opening time of the refrigerant valve to supply the refrigerant to the evaporator of the first storage chamber is 40 seconds, therefore, opening time of the refrigerant valve to supply the refrigerant to the evaporator of the second storage chamber is set to 30 seconds, and opening time of the refrigerant valve to supply the refrigerant to the evaporator of the third storage chamber is set to 30 seconds.
In recent years, temperature of a storage chamber may be set according to user's liking. That is, the storage chamber may be used as a freezing chamber while the storage chamber is used as a Kimchi chamber.
In the conventional refrigerator, however, the refrigerant valve is opened at the fixed opening time rate even when the Kimchi chamber is changed to the freezing chamber.
Consequently, lower pressure is generated in the freezing chamber than in the Kimchi chamber, with the result that load in the freezing chamber is relatively low, and therefore, the refrigerant is concentrically supplied to the evaporator of the freezing chamber. That is, refrigerant concentration occurs. Generally, temperature of the Kimchi chamber is controlled to −1° C.; however, temperature of the freezing chamber is controlled to −18° C.
When the Kimchi chamber is cooled by a direct cooling system to directly cool the storage chamber using a pipe-type evaporator disposed to surround the outer perimeter of the storage chamber, left and right temperature deviation of the storage chamber is further increased due to refrigerant shortage.